Agent reveals how close Arsenal midfielder came to joining Liverpool

Oli Fisher

Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was very close to making the switch to Liverpool, according to his former agent.

Dimitry Seluk represented the Armenia international during his early career, but the pair fell out.

Seluk was not on good terms with the Armenian football federation where Mkhitaryan’s mother worked, while there was also a disagreement when Metaluruh Donetsk owner  Oleg Mkrtchyan sold another of Seluk’s clients to Spartak Moscow.

Mino Raiola then swooped to become Mkhitaryan’s new agent, eventually going on to take the 29-year-old to Manchester United.

“Eventually, we parted ways with him because of that whole situation,” Seluk told TheseFootballTimes.

“Obviously, by that time, Mkhitaryan had already become a well-known player, and when Borussia Dortmund offered Shakhtar €27m (£23m) for Henrikh, suddenly Raiola was all over him.

“Although I had already talked to Liverpool who were also interested in Mkhitaryan and wanted to sign him.

“If Mkrtchyan hadn’t lied to me and we hadn’t parted ways with Henrikh, he would have been a Liverpool player.”

 

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